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“And tell them what? That you’ve barricaded your daughter and locked her up in her bedroom so she can’t speak to anyone?” I shout back. I’d like to add the fact that she just referred to heras a murderer too. The only thing that’s clear to me now is that Madden has been inflicted with psychological abuse.
“Who do you think they’re going to blame then, Lara?”
To my surprise, she stops pushing against the door. She doesn’t respond. Madden’s screaming comes to a pause and there’s silence within the room and outside the two doors. She’s either calling the police or coming to her senses.
“She’s a thief. She only loves Blakely. She never wanted me or Fallon. She doesn’t even love Daddy. But no one likes my mom. No one.”
“But why?” I ask, trying my best to remain calm so I can bring her energy level down too.
Madden shrugs. “She tells people I’m a handful. I think I make her life hard.”
“No, no. I don’t think that’s the case and you shouldn’t assume something like that,” I tell her, placing my hand on her shin—her bruised shin.
“Do you feel unsafe here?” I hope Lara can’t hear me. I’m speaking as quietly as possible, but God only knows, she probably has cameras and mics set up in each room of this house.
Madden nods her head, confirming my concern.
“Okay, I’m going to get you some help. Is that okay?” I don’t care if it’s okay but I’d rather she thinks she’s in control of the decisions being made about her life.
She nods again.
Just as my pulse slows the slightest bit, another wave of force pushes against the dresser on the other door. “There’s no way out,” Madden whispers.
I pull my phone out of my back pocket, my hands shaking so fiercely, it’ll be hard to type anything out.
A message from Liam is pinned to my display. He’s apologizing for making me worry but everything is fine, and he’llcall me after work. I wish that was the worst of my concerns right now.
I open a new message box and add 9-1-1 in theTofield. During the first aid course, we learned about the ability to send text messages to 9-1-1. I never knew we could do this before. I’m sure Lara would be grateful to know her forced licensing came in handy for me.
Me: Emergency services needed. A nine-year-old child has been locked and barricaded in her bedroom. The mother is intoxicated and angry. The child claims she feels unsafe here.
Dispatcher: This is 9-1-1. May we connect you to a dispatcher through a phone call?
Me: No, I don’t think that’s safe.
Dispatcher: Okay, understood. Could you please send your address to confirm your location…
The police arrive much quicker than I thought they would and without the alarming sirens, which I appreciate. Lara doesn’t need any additional warning that the police are about to be at her front door.
Within seconds they’re banging tersely at the front, which I can easily hear through the window.
I don’t hear any movement from within the house, making me wonder where Lara is and what she’s doing. I consider moving the bureau and opening the door, but I think it’s best if Iwait here with Madden until the police make their way upstairs. I’m already going to have to explain why I’m locked in here with her, but I have the text messages on my phone to back up my story.
“Are they breaking the door?” Madden asks, sliding off her toy box and moving over to the window. It sounds like they are. Muffled shouts filter in through the door. Madden runs across the room and jumps back onto her bed. “Are they going to take me away now?”
“No. They’re going to keep you safe.”
“I don’t want to be taken away. Will they put me in jail when they find out about Fallon?”
“Why would they put you in jail?” It’s the last of the questions I’ll be able to ask her with the sound of footsteps barreling up the stairs.
“Because Mom said I killed Fallon.”
The police try to open the bedroom door and find resistance. “If anyone is in there, move away from whatever is blocking the door so no one gets hurt.”
They make their way in rather quickly, finding Madden on her bed and me kneeling by her side. “Who is responsible for all this?” the police are asking me.
“She was trapped in here by her mother. I was able to shimmy inside but when Madden said she didn’t feel safe here, I did what I could to keep us in the room.”
